


Aqua scales, Emerald eyes

by gAAmAtsU16



Category: Haikyuu!!
Genre: Alternate Universe - Dragons, Alternate Universe - Fantasy, Eventual Romance, Family Secrets, Fluff and Hurt/Comfort, Iwa-chan has the worse bday, M/M, Prophecy
Language: English
Status: In-Progress
Published: 2020-01-24
Updated: 2020-08-18
Packaged: 2021-02-27 15:00:47
Rating: Not Rated
Warnings: Creator Chose Not To Use Archive Warnings
Chapters: 2
Words: 7,720
Publisher: archiveofourown.org
Story URL: https://archiveofourown.org/works/22389085
Author URL: https://archiveofourown.org/users/gAAmAtsU16/pseuds/gAAmAtsU16
Summary: ’Of blood and gore to rid the majesty of spell and lore,Of dark and light to raze against the crimson dawn and night,To which a piece returns to the whole thus the blood of the prodigal comes home,To men and myth until the sky is free to live and roam.'Seventy years ago, all dragons were massacred to extinction.Seventy years ago, the Ashenlands emerged.Seventy years ago, they whisper of an unspoken prophecy.Seventy years later, Iwaizumi Hajime just turned Eighteen. And discovers the prophecy is his life story.
Relationships: Hanamaki Takahiro/Matsukawa Issei, Iwaizumi Hajime/Oikawa Tooru
Comments: 3
Kudos: 36





	1. Chapter 1

**Summary for the Chapter:**

> “There’s no time. You have to escape before they come here. He is vigilant.”  
> “Who?”  
> “The Ash king.”  
> Iwaizumi blanches. “T-the…What does the King have to do with any of this?”  
> “Oh, Hajime…”

**Notes for the Chapter:**

> UPDATED: July 12, 2020

_They forced him to his knees, and his small body could not resist the hands that pushed him down._

_“Hajime, look at me.”_

_There were about a dozen Cinder guards, looming like scarecrows breathed in by smoke. Grey-cloaks and silver staves circled their small group. There were six women and Iwaizumi was the only child. The horses with them were black and opaque, and one neighed too close to his ear that he folded instinctively, whimpering._

_The guards laughed but his mother shot them a glare. Turning to him, she said softly, “Hajime, love, look at me.”_

_Frightened green eyes looked up. "I'm scared." He admits quietly._

_"I know. But look at me."_

_Iwaizumi opened his eyes, his lips quivered and body trembled. He was so scared— at the grey guards, for his mother, at what is about to happen, he doesn’t even know what will happen— but he straightened himself and met her eyes fully._

_His mother smiled at his resolve. “That’s it, my love, my strong boy. No matter how fear pulls you down or make you cower, do not bend your head.”_

_A guard approached them and the other women cowering behind. They shrieked and a few started to claw and kick but his mother remained composed, eyes only at him, smile frozen on her battered face, and Iwaizumi had the urge to yell at her to do the same. To fight for her life. To defy. But she kept calm, a quiet acceptance to a grim fate._

_It is only when she was pulled roughly to her feet and shackled at the ankles that Iwaizumi violently reacted._

_He pushed at the guards in front of him who were so surprised that they were delayed in reining him and Iwaizumi was inches away from his mother, hands outstretched, a jammed roar, when pain flared so suddenly behind his head and he crashed to the ground. His consciousness swam and blood dripped from his head to his chin. He could hear his mother’s frantic cries for him at the background, a far-cry from her passiveness earlier._

_The ground vibrated lowly and his mind registered the sound of hurried hoof beats and yelling becoming inaudible and he lifted his head, vision blurry as he saw silhouettes being dragged away. He could still hear his mother’s shouts at him but he couldn’t discern whether she was at an arms-length of him._

_When his vision cleared, the guards were gone, leaving a little Hajime bawling and crying to the sounds of an incoming storm._

_.............._

A hand presses on his shoulder and he jolts awake, sitting up and bumping heads at whoever roused him up.

A yelp follows a “Heavens forbid, Iwa-chan, are you a blockhead or something?”

Iwaizumi blinks and takes in his surroundings; a fireplace beside him. He’s in a cot, in his house, not in a barren land in the middle of a bleak afternoon on the most harrowing day of his life. He exhales and turns to his interrupter who rubs at his forehead and pouting.

“What did I say about getting within my proximity when I’m asleep, Crappykawa?” He chides but a smile breaks from his face.

The taller one scoffs. “In my defense, oh mighty blockheadness, I called out to you like ten times.”

“You could’ve tried eleven times.”

“Really now? Is that how my concern is rewarded? With unnecessary audaciousness?”

“That’s too intelligent a word even for a moron like you.”

“Brash and now snarky. Mmm, anything new?”

“God, I don’t need your daily dose of lunacy this early in the morn.” Iwaizumi rubs at his temple.

Oikawa pauses. After a full minute, he says quietly, “It’s evening now, Iwa-chan.”

Iwaizumi looks up at him. "Huh?"

Oikawa sighs and stands up to walk over to the windows. He slides the drapes aside and Iwaizumi’s heart resumes its sprint when he saw black.

"… Are you saying I slept a full daybreak?"

“Chihiro-san said not to disturb you after that errand to the fields which I personally still think was a needless chore given you could’ve accomplish that on any other day.” A small breeze sweeps in that Oikawa has to pull on the blue shawl around his shoulders tighter, his brown hair bouncing. He always teases his best friend he looks like a maiden in that garb but Oikawa probably likes the taunt, the baby moron. “And I could’ve helped to hasten the task but your highness the blockhead left me behind at the wee crack of dawn yesterday and didn’t return till the cicadas were loud and noisy so I guess you deserve to hibernate the entire day.” He turns to look back at Iwaizumi on the cot whose eyebrows crosses as he stares down at the floor. “I would’ve given you more respite if I didn’t happen into another nightmare. I’m sorry for waking you up.”

“No, it’s all right. I told you never to apologize for that.” Iwaizumi says.

“Was it still the same one?” A nod from the person on the bed. “I’m sorry.”

“As I’ve said, stop Tooru. I don’t need your mother-henning too. Hanamaki does that enough for all of us.” He sighs and gets up. “Where is father?”

“Back at the yard. We were content to let you slumber the duration of the day; however, he has…assembled for a small festivity.” He laughs when Iwaizumi groans at that. “Come now, Iwa-chan, he really has been so eager. Give your old man his small wish of bliss for you.”

“As long as he does not invite the entire village again nor those annoying girls at the pub.”

"But you like being fawned over by those annoying girls." Oikawa pokes his cheek.

"Being fawned and fussed over are two different things and neither appeal to me."

Oikawa chuckles. “I have something for you.” He walks closer and behind his shawl he pulls out a small object wrapped in a piece of cloth. He gives it to Iwaizumi who opens to find a beautifully-intricate silver arm band with a jewel as the center piece.

“Is this…” he brings the accessory closer to scrutinize and his eyes lit up. “This is a dragon scale.” The jewel was thumb-sized, [a color gradient of aqua to turquoise to blue-green that resembles a sunlit sea](https://www.istockphoto.com/photo/seamless-texture-of-dragon-scales-gm1146301809-308840203). He looks back up at Oikawa who was grinning smugly. “Where in Kitagawa Daichii did you find a dragon scale?”

The other only laughs at his bewilderment. “I am resourceful.”

“Did you steal this from a grave?”

“What? Iwa-chan, no!”

“How many gold coins did you spend to purchase this? Are you in deep debt for this? Are you in trouble with the law? Because if you are, I’m hauling your ass to the nearest constabulary this instant.”

“Mean! All right, calm down,” he places a reassuring hand on his shoulder, “I didn’t steal it from anybody’s grave, didn’t lose even a quarter of my provisions and acquired this constitutionally, so you quench your silly uneasiness, you dramatic dunce.”

Iwaizumi narrows his eyes. He could read his childhood friend fairly well despite being a renowned liesmith and grudgingly accepts the fact that he was telling him the truth. He flicks his forehead though “Don’t call me dramatic, princess,” earning a small squeak from the other before rolling his sleeves and locks the accessory on his wrist.

“It looks good on you.” Oikawa comments. “Happy name day, Hajime.”

Iwaizumi admires the adornment for a few minutes, the scale glistens in the firelight before giving him a genuine smile. “Thank you, Tooru.”

They exit out the other door to the back yard. The minute they step out, they were greeted by a cacophony of ovations and slurs.

“Took you long enough to drag his scrawniness out, Oikawa. We were starving here.” Hanamaki whines as he sits on a haystack.

“We opened a barrel already. Forgive our impatience.” Raising a mug filled with rum, Matsukawa winks, a clear sign he was partially inebriated.

“Did you have to invite this bastard duo?” Iwaizumi gestures at the two slouching against each other.

Hanamaki scoffs. “Please. It’s not as if you have any other _willing_ friends around. Your social skills are that of a walnut.”

Iwaizumi lunges himself at them and tackles them down to the ground.

“They helped in putting this together.” Chihiro Iwaizumi laughs and gestures at the small table filled with bread, cheese, baskets of fruits and variations of turkey dishes. His father seems to have halved their poultry for tonight’s celebration.

Chihiro gives Iwaizumi a tired but warm smile as the boy shuffles closer to his arms. “I know you dislike revering, but indulge this elderly man’s stubbornness. Today is unlike any other occasion before. Today you turn eighteen. Happy name day, son.” He whispers his next words that only Iwaizumi could hear. “Your mother would be so proud of the man you’ve become, Hajime. I know I am.”

Iwaizumi remembers his nightmare and mentally discards its recollection in favor of returning the embrace his father gives him. In his arms, he will always be that small boy who was forced to be an adult when their matriarch was taken from them. “Thank you, father.”

Chihiro gives his son a light squeeze on the shoulder and ushers him and his few friends to the table to dine and make merry and laud under the star-studded night sky.

Bellies-stuffed and two barrels of rum later, the gentlemen sprawled on all sides of the yard: the bastard duo lying near each other, inseparable even in their intoxication, Oikawa props on a bunch of haystacks, his shawl now around his head serving as a makeshift cushion.

Iwaizumi wakes to sounds of clinking and he rubs his eyes to realize he dozed off again despite oversleeping earlier and sees his father tidying up the contents on the table. He moves to help but only after successfully rolling off the haycock he was in. His father whips his head at his tumble and chuckles as Iwaizumi groans, standing wobbly to his feet.

“Just lie down and let the alcohol settle off your system before lending me a hand.” Chihiro says but Iwaizumi shakes his head and stops because it’s making his sight spin.

“I’ve had enough slumber that would last me a lifetime. Here, give me those.” He reaches for the plates when his forearm is gripped, hard. “Father?”

“What’s this?” Chihiro tugs at his sleeve to reveal the silver arm band. The dragon scale strangely seems to be glowing but it could all just be Iwaizumi’s imagination due to his inebriation. His father, however, eyes the gem with appalled clarity and dread. “Where did you get this?”

“I- Tooru gave it to me—Father, what’s happening? What are you—“ his inquiries were cut off when he’s yanked towards their house roughly.

Chihiro shakes Hanamaki and Matsukawa awake without less of the hardness and even slaps the pink-haired to alertness. Hanamaki rubs at his face when Chihiro orders them. “Go. Go home, as fast as you can. And don’t come back.” He didn’t explain further and pulls a waking Oikawa inside the house with Iwaizumi. He shuts the door and bolts it.

“Father, what—“

“Chihiro-san—“

“Why did you give him such an item?” Chihiro asks and Iwaizumi realizes the question wasn’t for him.

Oikawa licks his lips and his voice quivers, “It was just a piece of dragon scale.”

“A piece is part of a whole, boy! You know that. You _know_ that.” It was so long since his father raised his voice and Iwaizumi didn't know how to react. Chihiro pulls a satchel and stuffs it quickly with items. He runs to the kitchen to get some bread and a water bag. “You must leave at once. Get away from KitaDai as far as you can. Travel to the woods and get to Karasuno. Don’t stop, don’t look back, don’t rest until you pass the border.” He shoves the pack to Iwaizumi and another smaller bag to Oikawa.

“Chihiro-san,” Oikawa calls again and his eyes were alarmed, “It’s been years. And I have no magic—“

“’ _To which a piece returns to the whole thus the blood of the prodigal comes home.’_ ” Chihiro mumbles in lieu of an explanation. “I should’ve known. But no, it couldn’t have…”

Iwaizumi grabs his father’s arm. “What is going on?!” He half-yells, half-demands.

Chihiro was breathing so hard, all of them were, that it was heard on the quiet evening and Iwa’s perplexity melts to apprehension when tears slip from his father’s eyes— large, flowing rivulets that drip down his cheeks. He looks ten times older and sadder and it breaks Iwaizumi’s heart.

“I dreaded this day. I wished to the heavens it would never come. I wanted it to not be you, Hajime. Gods, I didn’t want any of it to be true.” Callous hands clasp at his face, “But your mother was certain. She warned me and when I lost her, I thought it would disappear with her. It’s been so long. I was a fool. I should’ve prepared you. Told you more. But I wanted to spare you from such a fate and I realize now that that will be my greatest sin, foregoing the impossible. I’m so sorry I can’t do more. I am sorry.”

Iwaizumi didn’t understand anything at all but he’s crying too and he doesn’t understand!

“Get to Karasuno and find the Crow Tavern. Look for old man Ukai. He can help you.” His father pulls the locket he’s always wearing beneath his shirt. It had been his late mother’s and his father wears it for sentimentality, but to his surprise he opens the pendant to reveal another dragon scale, this one smaller, just a bit bigger than a fingernail and dark green. “Show this to Ukai and he’ll know what to tell you. Do not lose this, Hajime. Whatever happens, this stays with you.” He loops it around Iwaizumi’s neck and before another protest escapes his mouth, pulls him for another hug. This felt different, special, _personal_ , like it’s the last time they’re going to share this.

That was enough to shake Iwaizumi out of his numbness and he finds his voice. “Why does it sound like you’re saying goodbye? What is happening? Please, tell me!”

“There’s no time. You have to escape before they come here. He is vigilant.”

“Who?”

“The Ash king.”

Iwaizumi blanches. “T-the…What does the King have to do with any of this?”

“Oh, Hajime…”

Sounds of thunder.

The three still and again, the booming sound of an angry sky cut through the silence. There were stars in the sky awhile ago. This isn’t natural. This is…

“They’re here.” Chihiro says and on cue, horses neighing from the distance could be heard. “Quick, leave now!”

“No, father—“

“Hajime, go!”

There was a flurry of emotions at his shout; anger, grief, hysteria, horror but it’s the fear that rattles Iwaizumi’s heart and unfreezes his feet. He bounds to the front door and is out into the lawn in seconds, body pulled taut by impulse.

“Chihiro-san…” Oikawa lingers in hesitation, an apology at the tip of his tongue but Chihiro stops him with a smile.

“I know, Tooru. It’s not your fault. This is preordained. Nothing you could’ve done.” He presses a gentle palm on his cheek. “I am happy you came to our home. Keep Hajime safe. Protect him. Protect each other.”

Oikawa’s eyes tear up and he cradles the hand on his face one last time. “I will not fail him.”

Chihiro nods. “Now, go.”

Iwaizumi was halfway out the village’s gates when he realize what he’d just done and with a growl dedicated to himself, was about to turn around and insist his father drop whatever nonsense this is, when he’s blocked by a visibly shaking Oikawa who grabs his arm and resumes their withdrawal out the village.

This infuriates Iwaizumi greatly. He tries to tug his arm back but Oikawa seems stronger. _What the heck?_ “Oikawa, we’re not leaving my father behind!”

“We need to leave, Hajime or else we’ll all die.”

“What—“

_BBOOOOOMMMM!!!_

Something hits the Iwaizumi household with a thunderous boom akin to a volcanic eruption. Their wooden house erupts and the very sight sends Iwaizumi to his knees, mouth agape, heart crushed. It was….an inferno. Their entire abode was burning, the flames scorching the trees and the fowl pen and from the fire, dark shadows of smoke emerged—

“Smoke stallions.” Oikawa hisses. “Hajime!”

Iwaizumi feels his friend tackle him to the side as the non-physical horses charge at them. The ground where they were in earlier turned to soot. Villagers who went out of their houses wondering what the commotion is at the dead of the night are attacked, their flesh charring upon contact with the Smoke stallions.

He’s never seen them personally before; the horses rumored to be born out of their mad King’s obsession to dark sorcery. Now in front of him, his blasted with the fear at how much of everything is true and not.

“Get up, we have to get into the water.” Oikawa drags a still stunned Iwaizumi into the river as chaos descends unto Kitagawa Daiichi.

Running to the riverbank, a stallion intercepts them. Iwaizumi pushes Oikawa out of the way and ducks just as the creature leaps over his head. He wasn’t fast enough to evade when it dashes back at him and he grunts in pain when it hits his left hip, blistering it. He collapses on one knee when another sizzles at his right leg. Iwaizumi creeps into the water, wanting to douse the heat, and he was halfway submerged when he feels a heavy impact on his back, pinning him below the surface. The water was cold and his new burns sting. He struggles to keep his head out of the water but the smoke stallion keeps stomping on him and the intensifying pain in his torso could mean he’s garnered fresh bruises or possibly fractured ribs. He was quickly losing air and he thought with dark humor how comical it would be if he were to be trampled to death underwater.

Just as the last vestiges of consciousness leave him, the weight on his back disappears. He rolls to his side; half of his body and face still immersed in the water as he fights to grip at his remaining focus. With hazy vision, he saw Oikawa _grappling_ the smoke stallion. His hands, no, _claws_ were clutching at the horse’s smoky mane.

 _Oikawa has claws?_ His friend looks at him and seems to be shouting but Iwaizumi couldn’t hear. His golden eyes gleamed so bright in the dark and something was glistening at his face and neck.

 _That’s absurd._ Iwaizumi’s last thought before he finally succumbs to the darkness. _Tooru has brown eyes._

**Notes for the Chapter:**

> So name day= birthday in a fantasy setting. So not creative 😅  
> I insert links on the color of the dragon scales so you guys can, I dunno, picture it out I guess.
> 
> Next chapter: Oikawa and Iwa talk and runs into trouble. Literally.
> 
> Comments, kudos, subscriptions, bookmarks etc. are my happy pills! (^w^) Thanks for reading. Cheers!


	2. Chapter 2

**Summary for the Chapter:**

> “But all dragons are gone. There hasn’t been any sighting of the sky reptiles in decades since they were slaughtered.”
> 
> Oikawa smile slips. “Not all of history is to be taken fully to heart, Iwa-chan. And extinction is such an exaggeration if I say so myself. I’d more or less describe it as ‘falling off the public’s eye’ or something. The circumstances long ago weren’t exactly favorable for our kind to continue living freely.”
> 
> All of this has been a myth. Until that is, Iwaizumi is apparently friends with one all this time. “Well, damn.”

Iwaizumi opens his eyes. It was dim. Or at least, it was at where he was staring. He groans and looks to the side. The light from the narrow opening was bright and it afflicts his eyes. His hand moves to unconsciously slide the drapes but falls on empty space. He’s not in his house. So, where was he?

Sitting up, the first he notices is the pain immediately flaring from his torso wrapped in bandages. The next were his surroundings. There were protrusions and swellings on the wall surface; _they’re rocks_ he gawks in realization. He was in a cave. And there was a resounding absence of a boisterous presence near him.

Remembering Oikawa brings back the events of last night- or, he thinks it was last night. He doesn’t know how many suns have passed since. All he knows is that it was still not too long ago since the bruises still feel fresh and aching with every subtle movement. He straightens and is met with resistance from his abdomen. He hisses in pain and bends, only for the pain to intensify with the action.

“Iwa-chan.” Iwaizumi forces his eyes open and looks up the cave entrance. Oikawa was carrying chopped logs and some fruits, and when he saw Iwaizumi up, he drops them all and runs to his side. “Iwa-chan! Thank heavens you’re awake. I've been so worried. Don’t move yet dummy or you’ll aggravate your injury.” He presses at his shoulder and tries to ease him back down when Iwa catches his wrist. “Iwa-chan—“ He’s pulled closer until there’s only a few inches of space between them. “…w-what?”

Iwaizumi peers at him unblinkingly. Oikawa’s eyes were round and doe-like, his pupils comparable to hazel hessonites.

“They’re brown.” Oikawa says, referring to his eyes.

“Oh. Right. Of course. It must’ve been due to the flames—“

“But they turn like this if I will them to.” And suddenly, Iwaizumi was staring into gold so luminous he could see his reflection in them.

He squawks, and shuffles backward, eyeing his friend with a mixture of wariness and wonder and _apprehension_.

Oikawa allows the gap between them as he kneels firmly on the ground, letting Iwaizumi see he has no intention of harming him but Iwa could if he prefers. Not that he could in his current state anyway, but the security was there. Oikawa faces to the side while Iwaizumi continues to observe him. They were like a reptile’s, his eyes; yellow with black slits. They were mesmerizing to watch.

Finally, Oikawa tells him, “I will explain if you have something to eat.”

Wordlessly, Iwaizumi nods and Oikawa closes his eyes. When he opens them again, they’re back to their tree bark color. He retrieves the fruits he dumps earlier. He peals the fruits and cuts them. He gives the slices to Iwaizumi while he munches on a raw one. They eat in silence, not awkward just…edginess, like they don’t know how to address the storm brewing in the distance.

“Say something.” Oikawa starts, surprising Iwaizumi.

“I- what? It’s you who has something to say, you jerk!”

“But Iwa-chan, what _should_ I say?”

“I don’t know. Just…say something. Anything.”

“I’m a dragon.”

The apple slice Iwaizumi’s eating falls from his hand. He blinks once, twice, before he throws the remaining pieces at Oikawa who yelps when it hits his face.

“You told me to say something!”

“Then at the very least say something believable!”

“But I am telling the truth.” Oikawa insists, wiping the juice from his chin. "I _am_ a dragon."

Iwaizumi’s natural inclination to something he considers ludicrous is to lash out aggressively and he raises his hand to punch or slap Oikawa— punch is a stronger impulse right now— for fooling around, but the lad shows him the back of his palm. He eyes it with confusion until he sees his nails elongate and become claws. He sucks in a sharp breath.

“This and the eye color change are the only physical things I can do while in my demi-form.”

“D-demi…form?”

[Scales began to form on Oikawa’s neck, climbing up his face and around his eyes which shifted to gold once more](https://www.istockphoto.com/photo/seamless-texture-of-dragon-scales-gm1146301809-308840203). They shimmer against the light and Iwaizumi, in a baffled trance reaches out to touch it. They were smooth and glossy in texture like snake skin and the color…

“This is the same as the dragon scale on my arm band.” Iwaizumi brings his wrist up and true enough, the jewel piece on the adornment glittered with the same color. “This is yours?”

Oikawa sighs and the scales disappear. “At least now you’re reaffirmed I didn’t dig them up some poor man’s crypt or pilfered them somewhere.”

“I—Tooru, and you gave it to me? Why? No, what happened? What is going on?” Iwaizumi clenches his fists, fighting the multiple emotions threatening to break out his chest all at once. “You’re a dragon? Since when? How? What happened?”

“Okay, calm down first, Iwa-chan.” Oikawa pats at his shoulder and he exhales albeit begrudgingly. “I _am_ a dragon, since I was born and long before I was adopted into your family.” He clarifies.

"You're a dragon."

"Yes."

"You are a...dragon."

"This is going to be on repeat if you don't say something else."

Iwaizumi grunts. "The dragon scale?"

“The dragon scale, yes, it’s mine. I gave it to you as nothing but a gift for a friend.”

“Did it hurt?” He waves his wrist.

Oikawa grins. “Like plucking a hair out of my beautiful head.”

“But all dragons are gone. There hasn’t been any sighting of the sky reptiles in decades since they were slaughtered.”

Oikawa smile slips. “Not all of history is to be taken fully to heart, Iwa-chan. And extinction is such an exaggeration if I say so myself. I’d more or less describe it as ‘falling off the public’s eye’ or something. The circumstances long ago weren’t exactly favorable for our kind to continue living freely.”

 _‘Our kind’ Oikawa says simply. Holy angels,_ so there were still dragons around. Just in deep hiding, after the tragic slayings it seems. Who would have ever thought? As a child, Iwaizumi had been fascinated with said majestic creatures. They were powerful, graceful, agile and magnificent. They were lords of the sky and their roars bring in the tides. They were told to have roamed the earth and blended with humans of olden times.

All of this has been a myth. Until that is, Iwaizumi is apparently friends with one all this time. “Well, damn.”

“As for what is happening,” Oikawa adds, lowering his head, “I know not everything but only what I have been told. I know that your life is in peril and you are to be a key figure in the fulfillment of a prophecy that would change the future for all of us.” Oikawa takes Iwaizumi’s hand and squeezes it. “I know it has something to do with your mother’s lineage, one she hadn’t had the opportunity to reveal to you and your father too cautious to tell you himself and one I’ve overlooked out of negligence.”

“My mother’s lineage? W-what are you talking about?”

“Iwa-chan.” Oikawa’s tone shifts and he could feel shivers go up his spine. “Chihiro-san found me and took me in your family a few years ago not only because he felt sympathy. He did so because he learnt of my true descent. He saw your mother in me." The hand on Iwaizumi's tighten. "Because your mother…she was one too.”

Iwaizumi’s eyes widen. “One of... what?”

“Iwa-chan. Hajime." Oikawa says seriously. “Ari-san is one of mine. She was a dragon too.” He nods at the necklace around his neck. "That scale was hers."

This was too much. Too much for Iwaizumi to process. He flicks Oikawa’s hand away and cradles his head. Too much he is being told to. Too much he is forced to comprehend. And they were all preposterous! He finds he’s in the center of a cruel play of fate that involves him shouldering the future of humankind on the day of his birth, and that dragons thought to have been wiped out of existence were very much around, as he is surrogate brother to one and now said to be a son of another. This was utter folly!

“Of all the idiocy…” It was too much. Iwaizumi threw his head back and laughs. He laughs so loud and so long until tears prickle his eyes and his chest hurt- because of his amusement or his injuries, Iwaizumi could care less. He laughs in the face of being mocked by the entire cosmos. 

Oikawa keeps quiet the entire time Iwaizumi was wallowing in his misery by laughing it off. He knows his friend is hurting so much and his confessions only added salt to his injured heart but he would not deprive Iwaizumi with the honesty he requests, honesty he _deserves._ Too long they have been hiding a lot from him and even if Oikawa knew it was to spare him from all this hard truths, no longer will he remain complacent when Iwaizumi was being handed too much, too soon.

When the laughter fades to wheezing and eventually to choked sobs, Oikawa takes his leave. Iwaizumi needs a temporary peace and the time to quell his heartaches and appease his mind.

It was almost sundown when Oikawa decides they’ve settled long enough. Iwaizumi had been unconscious for one whole day and while he is grateful no trouble chased them, one can never be too careful. He repacks their satchels and refills their water bags. They need to resume their journey or whatever it was that is pursuing them would cover the distance he’d made since leaving Kitagawa Daichii. Chihiro’s warnings pull taut at his heart. He enters the cave and sees Iwaizumi lying with his back facing him. He is torn what to say when the lying figure speaks up.

“I finally understand some peculiar things from childhood.” His voice was rusty, like he’d been crying for most of the day. Which he had.

“Hmm?”

“I always told mother she has sharp eyes. She always seems to be able to see quite well in the dark and when father takes us hunting, she always had better aim than him and we have so much meat because she could hit even when the prey was miles away. One time, I thought her eyes were yellow and when I told her, she said it was due to the reflection of the sun. There was also a time when the bridle on our mare broke when we delivered a carriage full of eggs to the marketplace and she told me to go on ahead and call for help but then moments later, I saw her hauling the entire crate all by herself.” Iwaizumi recalls, “Several times I saw her escape into the night and return before dawn, flustered and with wind-swept hair and a nostalgic glint in her eyes. I never understood that expression nor I ever asked. I simply trusted her.” He laughs and the sound was bitter and sad and angry all at the same time. “Now I know why.”

“We need to go, Iwa-chan.” Oikawa asserts, not liking the acidity in his voice.

Iwaizumi lifts his head to look at him and his eyes were puffy. “Go where?”

“You remember what your father said,” he sees Iwaizumi’s shoulder tense and he plops back down, “We can’t tarry any longer. We need to move and get to Karasuno. Answers will be there for us.”

Iwaizumi scoffs. “As if any answers could satiate all these prophetic nonsense you lot insist to be in motion.”

“Please Hajime,” He didn’t mean for his voice to sound so desperate but every second they linger here for too long cuts through Oikawa’s fortitude. “Let’s just get out of here. Please.” He was tired, he’d been alert and on-watch since patching up Iwaizumi and they really couldn’t afford to stay anymore. He was paranoid, perhaps, but it’s not a crime to be cautious, especially after what they had just experienced.

His exhaustion seeps into his tone that Iwaizumi pushes himself up with a grumble. He looks at Oikawa from top to bottom and bites his lips. “I-I am sorry. I was…too caught up in my own woes I didn’t check on you. Tooru, did you get any sleep at all?” The iciness in his gaze melts as he takes in his disheveled appearance.

Oikawa shakes his head and Iwaizumi has that stern look preceding a lecture and he cuts him off with a gentle wave of his hand. “I was making sure we were safe. But it won’t last long, not after I let you gather your strength back. But we need to go now.”

“Right. Alright.” Iwaizumi stands to his feet shakily but he rights himself. He gestures for the bag Oikawa was holding.

“No, Iwa-chan, I’ll carry it—“

“The bag, Tooru.” The order was palpable in Iwa’s words that Oikawa relents, handing him the bag with a pout. It garners a small smile from the green-eyed. “You need to look after yourself too, you twit.”

“Yes, _mother._ ” Oikawa jokes and ducks when a hand swipes at him playfully.

The familiarity was welcomed. Despite the unanticipated revelations, it was reassuring to know that nothing changed between them. _Yet._

The cave where they’ve lodged in was a short mile away from Kitagawa Daichii. It was deep within the forest and low enough for the tall trees to disguise. The two friends cut through the thick vegetation and off the path since it will be easier to obscure their tracks and shake off their pursuers to give them enough time, long enough hopefully to reach the borders. Unfortunately, while they were able to conceal themselves among the wildlife, going off-road prove to be arduous, especially with the dangerous terrain and Iwaizumi injured. They had to tread more carefully on the sharp rocks and steep slopes. Oikawa and Iwaizumi huddles close, arms around each other. Though the latter was the one navigating downhill, it is the former who supports both their weights. In a normal setting, the roles would usually be reverse; Oikawa being objectively perceptive and Iwaizumi stronger physically.

Upon their second quick stop, they arrive at a fork. Beyond that would be the border. The rapid settling of the sun paves way to dark blue skies and though with nightfall they could trek more easily without risking to be spotted, the drop in temperature and night predators would sooner cause them trouble. Without a torch their pace slowed. Not even the moonlight could illuminate their path that well.

Hours in, the night was relatively quiet; the sounds were coming only from them. So, when Oikawa pauses, Iwaizumi knows something’s caught his attention.

“What is it?” He asks, puffing with the long walk, torso terribly aching.

“I heard something.” Was the other’s quiet reply.

Iwaizumi strains his ears to try and pick up what Oikawa had heard but he was out of practice.

Oikawa summons his scales and his gold eyes dart around. He eases Iwaizumi down gently. “There’s approaching footsteps. Heavy. Alarmed. Their breathing is labored.” His eyes narrow. “They’re running.” He sniffs the air and swivels to their left. “They’re running _here_! Iwa-chan—”

Iwaizumi doesn’t need to be told for he could hear the footfalls too. And bushes rustling. And…fire crackling? He steps back while Oikawa raises his clawed hand when an orange ball of light jumps from the tall bushes in front of them, shaft held by a familiar face.

“What the… Oikawa?”

Oikawa retracts his claws. “Maki?!” There was another person behind the pink-haired. “Mattsun!”

“What the devil is wrong with your face?” Matsukawa says in lieu of a greeting. They were both heaving like they had been running for hours.

Oikawa pulls back his scales and replies coolly, touching a hand to his cheek. “Why, what’s wrong with my face? Do I look hideous already in a span of days?”

“No, but— aah, forget it. Must be from the fire.” Matsukawa squints. “Have your eyes always been yellow?”

“What are you doing here?” Iwaizumi walks closer.

“What are we-?! Excuse you Iwaizumi Hajime! Your father sputtered that foreboding warning at us and next we know, the village is burning down and we couldn’t find you and Cinder guards stormed in—“

“Douse that fire out!” Oikawa grabs the torch and stomps it to the ground.

“Wait, you followed us all the way here?”

“Well, what are we supposed to do?!” Hanamaki shouts. “Everything is in chaos and the royal fleet barged into KitaDai and collected survivors. They practically poured into home in squadrons and we barely managed to escape. We’ve been running away since yesterday but then these horrid bastards chased us at the main trail and we—“

“What?!”

_PLOING_

Oikawa catches the arrow seconds before it hits Iwaizumi in the head.

“What in the mother—” Hanamaki turns around.

Men in grey cloaks on horseback appeared from the trees, three of them. The one that shot the arrow notches another in his crossbow once more.

“Run!”

The four friends bolt in the other direction as arrows rain on them. Though their attackers were on horses, it was tricky zeroing on them due to the labyrinth of trees. The friends dart in places, lessening their chances to be targets.

A cinder guard aims at Hanamaki. The arrow bounces back as if striking a wall as it hits, not Maki’s back, but Oikawa’s arm. 

“I knew there was something wrong with your face.” Matsukawa says when Oikawa blocks another arrow with his dragon scaled arm.

“You guys keep running. The border is just ahead. Watch out for the clearing, it’s a steep drop.” The taller one rounds back on their pursuers. He leaps into a large root and thrusts himself up the nearest guard, kicking him straight in the shin. He slams his elbows on him and the man drops. Oikawa jumps from the horse’s back and into the next, pushing the man off the horse but grabbing unto the bridle and twisting to kick the next rider off his horse too. He rolls on the ground but rises quickly and climbs on the guard, loops his left leg around his neck and swings himself that his neck snaps. He then tumbles when the other shoots at him. He crosses his arms and the arrows spring back from hitting scales as he runs and does a slide kick, the man falls to his knees and Oikawa whips his leg and whacks him to his head.

“Did you know princess can fight like that?” Hanamaki stares in disbelief and bewilderment as they witness their petulant and spoiled friend - who always whines on a regular basis and abhors manual labor- do away their attackers like a seasoned warrior.

“Heads up!” Iwaizumi warns as an arrow whips above them, missing Matsukawa’s hairline by an inch.

More cinder guards advance from the distance. Oikawa sees about a dozen and he can’t hold off that large a number by himself in just his demi-form. He curses and races towards his friends as well.

“I can see the clearing.” Hanamaki announces.

They stop just in time at the cliff’s edge, the length of about two sycamore trees. Below was a roaring river.

“You have got to be jesting me.” Matsukawa throws his hands in exasperation.

“We need to jump.” Iwaizumi says. Hanamaki and Matsukawa groan loudly beside him but they don’t refute him. “The river lies on the outskirts of Karasuno, if we follow the undertow. The current can carry us to the mountainside and then to the border.”

“If it will not slam us on those large boulders, that is. If the current won’t, the waves will squash us or we'll drown by swallowing murky river water.” Hanamaki adds sullenly.

“Do you have a better idea?”

“Yes, not dying.”

_KLANK_

They look back to see Oikawa was blocking the shots at them and they come to a faltering agreement.

"I'm going to hate whatever you're about to say." Matsukawa says, seeing Iwaizumi's serious expression.

“On three.” Iwaizumi says.

“Oh dear god.”

“Three!” 

“What the—“

The three friends jump, Oikawa trailing behind and does the leap with no qualms. Their followers reach the ledge to see a tumultuous body of running water, drowning four bodies in its depths, unseen.

..............

Getting into the water was easy. Getting out, not so much.

It took the four friends severe underwater navigating, wild clawing and brutal exertion ‘till they could haul their soaked selves on shore. They were drenched from head to toe but alive. _Alive._

“Let’s…” Matsukawa breaks the chorus of heavy-breathing's, “…let’s never attempt that…ever again.”

“Hear, hear.” Hanamaki replies shortly before slapping Iwaizumi on the side of the head. The shorter man crows. “Never make a shortcut of your instruction ever again, Iwaizumi.”

“Or?” The man huffs.

“Or I’m making you a shortcut to the afterlife myself.” He turns to Oikawa next, sprawled belly-first to his left, gesturing at his scales. “And you, my devil-may-care friend, need a shortcut to explaining that facial emblem, starting with: what in tarnation is wrong with your eyes?”

The journey to Karasuno was filled with quick history-telling and future-warnings. Traversing damp and mucky was grueling. The night was bone-chilling, biting their moist skins since they had no spare change of clothes. But after their surprise assault, they didn’t want to remain stationary and prefer freezing their asses heading to their destination.

“I’d trade Issei for some fire right now.” Hanamaki rubs his forearms.

“Ditto. Although you dying from frostbite won’t change anything. You’re an inbred cold person, after all.” Matsukawa says while the pink-haired only shrugs in acknowledgment.

“Why can’t you change back to your dragon form?” This, Hanamaki asks Oikawa.

The tall one sulks as if tired of repeating himself. “I told you. I lost my essence.”

"Elaborate."

"Essences are like, our primemost source of energy. Losing my dragon essence means I can't transform. It's like eating only one meal a day; I can still function but not as strongly when I consume a full-course three meals."

"Thank you for using food as description, genius." Matsukawa whacks Oikawa on the side of the head.

"What, you asked!"

“And you can’t get it back?” Iwaizumi asks.

Oikawa bows his head. “It’s...complicated. And truthfully, unachievable for me at the moment. So I guess I’m trapped by these feeble human restrictions.”

Iwaizumi’s eyes narrow. “You make it sound like your entirety is distasteful.”

Oikawa raises his head at his words but before he could open his mouth, Hanamaki announces. “Oh, we’re here!”

Karasuno was a small town, bordered by woodlands and vast mountain ranges. Few of the houses were lit as it is late in the evening already so the four trudges in without eliciting suspicion, garnering raised brows to the little residents still outside.

“There it is.” Iwaizumi points to a lodge underneath a large oak tree with a black bird hanging on its canopy. Its signage read ‘The Crow Tavern’. The place, upon entry of the four was in fact more than just a tavern but also an Inn. A door to a small orchard leading to another pad that seems to have multiple doors. Rooms, they assumed. Round tables litter all around the place. There was a sizable fireplace on the center wall next to a bar lined with barrels of beverages. In spite the late hour, there were a few customers still; drinking, talking or just lounging on the tables with ease.

Hanamaki, Matsukawa and Oikawa dashes to the crackling hearth, tossing their bags on the floor and extending their arms.

“Oikawa, you’re a freakin reptile for god’s sake. Don’t hog all the heat.” Hanamaki bumps Oikawa’s side.

“Reptiles get cold too!”

“Reptiles are cold-blooded, you dimwit.”

“You’re the cold-blooded one here, Maki!”

Iwaizumi walks over to the counter where a man with blonde hair sleeked back by a headband was dozing off. He coughs to gain his attention and the man wakes up with a jolt.

He yawns, rubbing his head. “Ahh, welcome,” and sees Iwaizumi. “Travelers?”

“Uuh, sort of.”

The man nods. “Need a place to stay or a quick drink before you’ll be on your way?”

“N-no. Thank you though. I’m looking for someone actually. Ukai.”

The man pauses mid-yawn. He straightens and Iwaizumi was slightly intimated at his height and hardened features. “ _I’m_ Ukai.” He gives Iwa a probing look. “Who are you? What do you want?”

Iwaizumi was taken aback with the wariness. He fishes the necklace from underneath his shirt and shows it to Ukai. “My name is Iwaizumi Hajime. I’m from Kitagawa Daichii. My father told me to come here and show you this.”

Ukai eyes the jewelry, at Iwaizumi then back at the item. “So, what do I want with it?” Iwaizumi opens the pendant. “Holy crow! Is that a dragon scale?” He leans in, now interested. “How’d you happen upon that? That thing is so rare, it’s hardly found in the capital. Scratch that, it’s practically non-existent.” Iwaizumi was about to answer back when Ukai prattles on. “No, wait. Are you selling that? I’d buy it, kid. How much? God, wait, I can’t afford that. Can I? Damn.”

“No, I—“

“I’ll barter you a deal, kid: you can stay for the night, get our best rooms, and have our finest meals and drinks, free of charge. How’d you like that?”

“No—“

“No?” Ukai scratches his chin. “All right. How about I offer you two bags of gold coins and a barrel of your own choice—“

“No, it’s not for sale!” Iwaizumi retreats, clenching the dragon scale. Ukai looks at him questioningly at his outburst and he bows apologetically. “I’m sorry, I- wrong person. Sorry. I’ll…I’ll leave you be.”

He ambles back to the others who were watching him as he slumps on the bench, his outburst caught their attention.

“Iwa-chan?” A hand bears down on his thigh as Oikawa sits next to him.

Something was not right. His father’s instructions had been clear: go to Karasuno, find the Crow, look for Ukai. The helplessness and apprehension and indignation surge out once more and coil at Iwaizumi’s gut, making him sick. This is where he was supposed to find answers! To quell this madness. His father said so. _Was it another lie?_ He wonders bitterly. _Was all this just a product of his hysteria? Did he overreact?_ Questions upon questions and not a single answer. He swears quietly, hands clenching.

_Will you not give me the honesty I deserve even after death, father?_

Footsteps approach them but he has no more energy. God, he's just so tired.

It’s Oikawa who grits out a response. “He isn’t selling anything.”

“I know. I heard him.” Came the light reply.

Ukai was gazing down at them, mouth tight, eyes interrogative. He speaks to Iwaizumi directly. “Iwaizumi Hajime, was it?” A nod. “And you’re from Kitagawa Daichii?” Another nod. Ukai seems to be sizing him for candor in his words. “You said you were looking for Ukai.”

“Yes…” Iwa says.

The blonde man sighs, carding a hand through his hair. “Lucky for you I’m not the only Ukai around here then.” He motions for the friends to follow him. “You’re probably looking for my old man. Come, I’ll take you to my grandfather.”

**Notes for the Chapter:**

> Picked this story back again since quarantine gave me so much time rewriting and reediting my unfinished stories (there's tons of 'em, goddamn). 😅🤪
> 
> Next chapter: Iwa grieves and Oikawa meets an old friend.

**Author's Note:**

> The dragon au! fic no one asked for 😁
> 
> Updates irregularly because my inspiration is chaotic LOL. Tags update as we go along as well. Comments, suggestions and kudos are highly appreciated. Thanks, y'all! \\(^3^)/


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